2 Our Agenda Who we are and where we used to beRigor, Relevance, RelationshipsHow we did this:1. Empowering a Team2. Focusing on Literacy3. Implementing with fidelity4. Monitoring like crazy!Results: Changing the Culture!

5 \The Problem: (actually we had many…)Massachusetts implemented a high stakes test (MCAS)Three-quarters of our students would not be earning a diplomaCulture of low expectations – “Students have a right to fail”Who is responsible???? (My kids, your kids, not OUR kids)Success by chance – depended on who your teacher was – are you lucky???

6 State Mandates…We faced:MCAS 1998FailureELA – 44%(Sped – 78%)MATH – 75%(Sped – 98%)MCAS 1998Advanced+ProficientELA – 22%MATH – 7%As bad as these were – it was even worse to look at our subgroups – in Special Education our ELA failure rate was 78%, in math it was 98%!

7 Remember, they MUST pass to graduate – NO exceptions!MCAS??? So you think it’s easy???

8 (and remember, they are sophomores!)ELA MCAS SELECTIONS:(and remember, they are sophomores!)Burial at Thebes from Sophocles’ AntigoneShakespearean Sonnet # 73Heart of Darkness by Joseph ConradLove in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (3 page excerpt)Making Humus by Composting by Liz BallProof (four page play excerpt by David Auburn)

9 In the formula, h and t are defined as follows: SAMPLE MCAS MATH QUESTION: Jason launched a model rocket from the ground. The formula below can be used to determine the height of the rocket above the ground at any time during the rocket’s flight.h = 16t(7 – t)In the formula, h and t are defined as follows:• t = the time, in seconds, that has elapsed since the rocket was launched• h = the height, in feet, of the rocket above the ground at time tUse the formula to answer the following questions.a. What was the height, in feet, of the rocket 1 second after it was launched? Show your work.b. What was the height, in feet, of the rocket 6 seconds after it was launched? Show your work.c. The value of h was 0 when the rocket hit the ground. How many seconds after the rocket was launched did it hit the ground? Show your work.d. How many seconds after the rocket was launched was the height of the rocket 160 feet? Show your work.This is an example of a math question on the 10th grade test. You don’t have to answer it but notice that students are required to use the information provided to answer 4 questions and must show the steps to solve each equation to get credit for their answers.9

10 SAMPLE MCAS BIOLOGY QUESTION: Corn snakes show variety in their skin color pattern. While the complete genetics of corn snake color are complex, the most common colors on normal corn snakes—red and black—are each coded by one gene.For the red gene, the allele for the presence of red pigment (R) is dominant and the allele for the absence of red pigment (r) is recessive. Likewise, for the black gene, the allele for the presence of black pigment (B) is dominant and the allele for the absence of black pigment (b) is recessive.Draw the Punnett square for the cross of a snake that is homozygous dominant for the red color with a snake that is heterozygous for the red color. What percentage of the offspring is expected to have red pigment in their skin?b. Draw the Punnett square for the cross of two snakes that are heterozygous for the black color. What percentage of the offspring are expected to have black pigment in their skin?c. The parent snakes in part (b) that are heterozygous for black color are both homozygous recessive for the red gene. Each parent has genotype rr for the red gene. Based on this information, what percentage of their offspring are expected to lack both the red and black pigments in their skin? Explain your reasoning.Students now take the science test as well. This is an example of a multistep equation type question students were asked on the 2008 biology mcas exam.

11 Insert cartoon…you all get the same test. You must all climb that tree…”

20 Turnaround at Brockton HighEmphasis on literacy brings big MCAS improvementPrincipal Susan Szachowicz, shown chatting at lunch with Yiriam Lopez,is in many ways the school’s biggest cheerleader. (Essdras M Suarez/ Globe Staff)By James Vaznis Globe Staff / October 12, 2009BROCKTON - Brockton High School has every excuse for failure, serving a city plagued by crime, poverty, housing foreclosures, and homelessness.Almost two-thirds of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunches, and 14 percent are learning to speak English. More than two-thirds are African-American or Latino - groups that have lagged behind their peers across the state on standardized tests.But Brockton High, by far the state’s largest public high school with 4,200 students, has found a success in recent years that has eluded many of the state’s urban schools: MCAS scores are soaring, earning the school state recognition as a symbol of urban hope.

21 So, that’s who we are… What did we do?Brockton and ICLE philosophyRigorRelevanceRelationshipsALL students-andALL means ALL!!!21

22 RIGOR and RELEVANCE Our Literacy Initiative reflects BOTHLiteracy for ALL – NO exceptions!!!Schoolwide Literacy Skills (we all do it THIS way!)Schoolwide rubrics for assessmentThe content provides the CONTEXT for teaching the Literacy SkillsThe electives engage the students and provide the real life application

23 So, what did we do??? Our turnaround: 4 Steps Empowered a TeamFocused on Literacy – Literacy for ALL, no exceptionsImplemented with fidelity and according to a planMonitored like crazy!

24 Step ONE: Empowering a Leadership TeamRestructuring Committee – our “think tank”Every department represented with a mix of teachers and administratorsBalance of new teachers and veterans, new voices and voices of experienceChallenge for ChangefundingI couldn’t work without the Leadership Team. Not only do they provide valued input, but they truly make my job easier!

25 We looked at the data And, our first plan:Let’s figure out the test The result of that:The Great Shakespearean Fiasco

26 And it helped us become one of the 100 Best!A better approach:We asked what should we be teaching???IOur solution:LITERACY!!!And it helped us become one of the 100 Best!

32 Is the skill applicable to ALL content areas?WHAT are we teaching???ENGAGING THE FACULTY:Interdisciplinary discussion groups on the drafts using 3 guiding questions:In each of the four areas of Reading, Writing, Speaking and Reasoning, have we included what is required for students to be successful in your class/your content area?Is the skill stated clearly so that all teachers and students can understand it?Is the skill applicable to ALL content areas?Then we had to figure out how to do this, how to get the faculty engaged in the same conversation we had been having at Restructuring. We drafted a list of skills in reading, writing, speaking, and reasoning to get the input of the faculty – but it was more than to get input. It was to get everyone engaged in the mission – to get them thinking about literacy and connecting the literacy skills to their lessons.The skills on those initial drafts came from the state standards, a review of the MCAS data, and our own beliefs as educators about what kids should know and be able to do!

33 “Lessons Learned the Hard Way” Tip:Put all your negative folks together in a group so they don’t spread their toxic fumes.For the ‘”toxic fumes” group – Make sure the facilitator knows going into it!Mention David Wheeler’s comment about putting your nasty people together.

41 Brockton High’s turnaround FOUR STEPS:Empowered a teamFocused on Literacy – Literacy for ALL, NO exceptionsImplemented with fidelity and according to a planMonitored like crazy!

42 Restructuring Committee process:Targets the Literacy SkillSmaller subgroup drafts training script, brings draft to the full committee, revisions madeRoll out to faculty – step one: Interdisciplinary group trainingFollow up in depts – how to implement in content area

44 How do we know the students are learning it?INSERT STUDENT WORK EXAMPLE

45 So then what… Follow up the Interdisciplinary Training.Next step – HOW to bring this into the classroomLessons developedImplemented according to a calendar

46 Step THREE: Implemented with fidelity and a planWe didn’t leave it to chance. The implementation was according to a specific timeline…

47 The Open Response calendar of implementation is as follows:As a follow up to this activity, I am requiring Department Heads to collect from each teacher at least one student sample from each of the teachers’ classes. The student samples should include:Student NameTeacher NameDateCourse Name and LevelPeriodA copy of the reading selection and questionEvidence of the student’s active readingAll pre-writing work that the student has done, e.g. websA copy of the written open responseThe new scoring rubric and completed assessmentAfter you have collected the samples from each teacher and have had the opportunity to review them for quality and completeness, please send them to me in a department folder with a checklist of your teachers. Again, please be sure that your teachers clearly label their student samples.The Open Response calendar of implementation is as follows:Nov 2-6: Social Science, Social Sci Biling.Nov 30-Dec 4: Wellness, JROTCDec 14-18: Science, Science BilingualJan 11-15: Business, Tech, & Career Ed.Jan 25-29: Math, Math BilingualFeb 22-26: Foreign Lang, Special EdMar. 7-11: English, ESL, GuidanceMar Family &Cons. Sci, ProjGradsApr 5-9: Music, Art

48 How did we incorporate these Literacy Skills in every discipline?Emily Dickinson is a poet who often wrote about her own emotional struggles. In two poems “Heart, We Will Forget Him” and “Knows How to Forget” she writes about how difficult it is to forget. Please read the two poems and the brief biography and answer the following three questions:What were some of experiences in her life that influenced her writing?What do the two poems have in common?How are the two poems different?Please use one quote from the poems or biography in each paragraph.

51 Brockton High’s turnaround FOUR STEPS:Empowered a teamFocused on Literacy – Literacy for ALL, NO exceptionsImplemented with fidelity and according to a planMonitored like crazy!(what gets monitored is what gets done!)

68 Don’t Miss…To see how we trained our faculty and experience a Literacy Training the Brockton High way, go to Sharon’s Literacy Leadership session: Tuesday 10:45 in OsceolaA; Wednesday 9:30 in Sun A-B

69 In Sharon’s Session – Our Professional Development FormatsWorld Café – More informal, allows topics to be introduced without going into great detail – builds collegialitySmall Interdisciplinary Groups – In depth discussions about a targeted issueLarge Interdisciplinary Groups – Literacy training that is often our first step to introduce an instructional method to all facultyDepartmental Meetings – follow up to literacy training with a content specific focus

76 We have built a lasting relationship which we will forever treasure in our hearts

77 The “REAL” results Amarr: “It’s not us against them.”Terrence: “No one herewould let me fail.I know, because I tried to.”

78 The Result = Changing the CultureRECAP: Our 4 StepsWhen all 3 R’s come together1. Empowering a team2. Focusing on literacy:Literacy for ALL – NO exceptions3. Implementing with fidelity and according to a plan4. Monitoring, monitoring, monitoringThe Result = Changing the Culture

79 “You don’t have to change the student population to get results, you have to change the conditions under which they learn.”Pedro Noguera

80 It’s ALL about literacyDOES IT WORK???Listen to what the students think of our Literacy Initiative… meet Fabieny DePina on PBS Need to Know

87 As student achievement increased, the culture started to change – we ALL insisted on the same standards“Your kids look like our kids, but they sure don’t act like our kids.” “There’s no one in the halls…” Szach: “They are in class…” Follow up question: “How do you get them to go?”The kids are PROUD – BOXER PRIDE!

92 Boxers in the NEW YORK TIMESGO Boxers!!!Boxers in the NEW YORK TIMESHigh Expectations NO Excuses!!!September 28, 2010

93 Making change takes tenacity, not brilliance!Here’s what we knowMaking change takes tenacity, not brilliance!(If we can do it, ANYONE can!)And when the 3 Rs come together it looks like this… (The kids made this for the teachers)